Generally, electrical fixtures, appliances, and the like for use in the home or elsewhere are supplied power through an electrical cord extending from an electrical outlet to the fixture. Often, the electrical fixture, such as a lamp, radio or other small appliance is positioned within the room, leaving the electrical cord visible to persons in the room. The electrical cord is not aesthetically pleasing. Similar aesthetic problems are encountered with chandelier chains, which extend downward from a ceiling and include an electrical cord, which is typically intertwined with the chain. Additionally, multiple cords may become entangled with one another. There is thus a need for devices that accent the appearance of plug in electrical cords and coordinate the cord with the room's decor, and which can also be used to minimize or eliminate tangling of multiple cords. The foregoing problems occur not only with electrical cords, but also with other types of plug-in cords and lines that carry data, such as telephone lines, coaxial cables, and the like. As used herein, the term “electrical cord” shall mean and include all such lengthwise cords, lines and cables that are used in home and office settings.
Removable cylindrically shaped covers have been used to cover a multitude of devices including cart handles, insulating covers for fluid containers, and protective jackets for conductors, chandelier chains and the like. See for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,866,649; 3,654,049; 3,906,129; and 3,038,558. These applications disclose covers secured around an item by a fastening device such as a zipper, extruded fastener or hook-and-loop type fastening material. All of these examples are similar in that the secured cover can be removed by simply unfastening the fastening device. In each case, the device includes a pair of matching fastening means which adhere to one another.
The present invention improves particularly upon U.S. Pat. No. 4,954,939 (Hutchins), which discloses an adjustable and removable chandelier cord cover. The Hutchins cover is made of a lengthwise strip of fabric material that has first and second engaging edges. A first strip of fastening material is fixedly secured to one of the engaging edges and a second strip of fastening material is fixedly secured to the other engaging edge. The two strips of fastening material engage one another when the two strips are joined together. The specification discusses the configuration and location of the two strips at column 1, lines 45-59, column 2, lines 43-57 and column 3, lines 1-15. Throughout the specification, one of the strips of fastening materials is described as having “hooks” while the other strip of fastening material is described as having “loops.” The specification further notes that a typical example of material suitable for this purpose is that sold under the trademarks VELSTICK and VELCRO. Column 3, lines 7-9. Nowhere in the specification is there any suggestion that the second strip can be eliminated.
Pressure sensitive adhesive transfer tapes or double stick tapes are widely used to bond two surfaces together. One of the advantages of using transfer tapes is that they are easier to dispense and apply than liquid adhesives, which must be dispensed from a container.
As far as the inventor can determine, no attempts have been made to apply pressure sensitive adhesives to cord covers. There is thus a need for a cord cover having the following characteristics and advantages over the prior art.